Staff Spotlight: Leah Levin

Leah Levin, who joined the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Cruz County in March 2013 as Education Director, oversees all education programming at the Downtown Clubhouse. She believes the best part of her job is building bridges for youth between home and school.

“We have the opportunity to raise the whole child rather than just teach them for a year and pass them to a different grade,” she said, comparing her work at the Clubhouse to her previous career as a classroom teacher. “To have that constructive, impactful and ongoing relationship is really important, as is the ability to build trust and respect with parents.”

Leah, a Florida native who has a Master’s Degree in elementary education, has focused on increasing the visibility of Boys & Girls Clubs within Santa Cruz City Schools, building relationships with teachers and parents and fostering greater academic success among students. Leah’s work was instrumental in the selection of Boys & Girls Clubs as the Organization of the Year at the Eddys, which are awards given out by the Santa Cruz Education Foundation.

As part of her role, Leah oversees the tutoring program with UC Santa Cruz students, the Power Hour homework program, and the instructional garden where members learn about healthy eating and sustainable living. The Downtown Clubhouse serves about 120 students every day offering homework assistance (Power Hour) and there are about 50 members who participate who are in the tutoring program.